Tag: ipa

I have an odd combination of a serious sweet tooth, but also a lot of self-control in my weight-loss mission. So, while I might not eat sweets very often, I absolutely love them. A favorite since childhood are those gummy orange slices with coarse sugar on them. You know them. I know you do.

Right? Those. Keep them in mind when I talk about this beer because, well, they’re relevant.

Green Flash Tangerine Soul Style IPA is described on the bottle as an “India Pale Ale with tangerine” that is “zesty and bright.” That’s a promise that I can get behind – it was a hot day and I was in a mood for something light and refreshing, but full of flavor.

I have some regrets about this green towel backdrop – I’m not sure I’d use it again.

It pours a really attractive orangey-marigold color with a little trace of whitish head, but that fades pretty quickly. There is some decent, fairly sticky lacing from this beer. Made with a blend of Citra and Cascade hops, this should be incredibly tropical and juicy. Oddly, it smells wheaty and not very citrusy at all. I’ll admit that I’m confused. I expected a wallop of orange – and I get some – but I mostly get biscuit malt up front. Not a very hoppy smell at all.

The taste, however, is lots of heavy tangerine up front with some hoppiness on the tongue. The finish is very sweet with a mellow, orangey flavor like canned mandarin slices or fruit salad in light syrup. It’s good good balance overall, but a slightly dry finish. It’s not unpalatable, but definitely notable. The biggest downside to me in this beer is that aftertaste of dryness. Otherwise, it’s incredibly fruit and refreshing.

So, those gummy slices? I’d say this beer matches them for orange-flavored intensity (though it isn’t nearly as sweet). I give it four out of five mugs and would likely buy it again.

Meet the fruity hop varietal that opened exciting new doors for brewers worldwide. By all accounts, Mosaic hops are the baby of the family – they’ve only been around for about four years now. Not so different from what farmers have been doing since farming existed, this hops was cross-bred and selected for the properties that growers were most interested in: in this case, berry flavors, mango, and floral notes.

Bred by the same company that is responsible for Simcoe and Citra hops, Lagunitas and other small craft brewers were early adopters of this big-bodied varietal. A popular example of a Mosaic-forward beer is Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA. It’s becoming popular for single-hopped IPAs and session beers. – and we’re definitely in a single-hopped beer boom right now.

In order to have a successfully executed single-hop, the hops need to be dynamic and distinct – no middle of the road wallflower hops here. Mosaic’s flavor profile is juicy and fruity without being sweet, pleasantly resinous, and it also features a balanced bitterness for a crisp, dry finish.

I”m excited to try more beers that prominently feature Mosaic. The ones on my wishlist include:

I’m growing attached to Beers and Cheers Too in Gaithersburg. It’s very convenient to my work and their rotating tap selection is pretty varied most of the time. I went ahead and got my growler filled here again on a Friday. This time, I went with a brewery that I’ve learned to lean on when I can’t decide what I want: Sam Adams. They’re not exceptional, generally, but they’re very reliable. I hadn’t had this IPA before and I was in the mood for something bright and fruity, so this seemed like a good match based on the taste that I tried.

I had a pint glass of this at home that same evening and, as usual, made another somewhat sloppy pour from the too-heavy growler, full of beer. This picture and review are of the second glass, poured a day later, and which still tasted perfectly fresh after being open for a day. There was a finger of fluffy head on day two. There’s some strong lacing and a little wisp of foam that’s slow to fade away.

It’s very aromatic, I don’t even need to put my nose right up to the glass; I get tons of big, juicy, citrusy hops without getting in close. But when I do put my nose down to the beer, I get plenty of the same. It’s not a simple one-note orange smell, but lots of tropical fruit and citrus and even some green notes. Not dank green, not sharp or bright, but a fresh and somewhat grassy green.

The first taste is orange with maybe a little mango or pineapple flavor to it. Again, not one-note orange, it’s fairly complex. It’s very refreshing up front with some well-balanced hoppiness that’s a hint dry, but not more than I like. I’m very into the wide range of tropical and citrus flavors at work in this beer. I would buy it again for sure, but it’s nothing terribly risky from Sam Adams as citrusy IPAs are really having their day right now. This is a gentler IPA for the crowd that isn’t into too high an IBU rating. Four out of five for me.

I got my growler filled at Beers and Cheers Too with this IPA when I grabbed a pint there earlier in the week. I tried a few IPAs and other ales to find the right one and this one seemed like the winning taster. As growlers are wont to do, this one kept a good seal before I opened it the first time to have this pint.

Brookeville Beer Farm’s Interdependence IPA pours a beautiful golden hue that’s bright and quite clear. There’s a fluffy off-white head on it that leaves behind some handsome lacing behind as it falls rather quickly. Of course, my first pour from a full and heavy growler is always a mess and a little head-heavy. Damn my noodle arms! It smells delightfully bright and fruit – passion fruit and strawberry and maybe just a hint of a wheat background with some bright piney notes.

The taste is, to me, grapefruit and berry-forward. Then it hits the roof of my mouth with a dryness that isn’t terrible, but it is a little more than I love in my choices in beers. It’s sweet for the first few moments and then a touch bitter. It’s full of flavor for sure, but I wouldn’t call it especially balanced. The dryness gets a little overwhelming as the beer warms up further and the berry flavor fades away.

I’ll finish the growler (of course – I don’t waste!), but it wasn’t the best choice. I enjoyed it more when it was quite cold, as it was when I sampled it at the shop. I don’t think I’d repeat this one. Three out of five (preferably) frosty mugs.

Located in a little industrial park in Prince Frederick, MD, Mully’s is nestled along the Patuxent River in a sleepy little area. There’s farm land all around with signs announcing fresh eggs , plants, and herbs for sale every mile or so. After Sunday D&D, I followed my DM’s big old pickup truck to his favorite brewery so I could buy him a drink for his upcoming birthday. I’d had quite a few of Mully’s beers since the DM often has growlers from them for us to enjoy during play.

I enjoyed a flight of six of their beers that day and went home with one of their flagships: Patuxent Pale Ale, which is easy drinking while still flavorful. The Shucker Stout was sturdy, but unremarkable. The Jack Straw IPA was a little hoppier than I liked, but well-crafted. They were out of a pepperjack ale of some kind, so this broke my heart a little. Their Belgian strong dark ale was really well-executed.

There is limited seating, some of which faces large windows into the brewery, where massive stainless steel tanks ferment away in the next room over. Pints were all $6 each and, also for $6, my flight was an exceptionally good deal. There’s also a good deal of charming wall art around the small place. I will likely go back again in the future after some game days.

As far as one beer in particular, I especially liked the one-off JedIPA. It was a nerd beer for a nerd day, which is right up my alley. It’s a fairly cloudy, deep golden color with no real head (but a bad growler pour on my part might be responsible for that). It’s hoppy, maybe a touch floral, and a little bit sweet-smelling. There’s a pretty sweet taste up front with moderately hoppy, fresh green (but not piney/resinous green) flavors. Never dry and easy drinking.

Both JedIPA and Mully’s Brewery earn a five out of five mugs even though it’s nowhere near my house!

Cracking open a few beers sounds like an excellent way to celebrate that American classic, the Fourth of the July. Here’s a quick rundown of five interesting and refreshing beers made here in the good ol’ US of A.

21st Amendment Hell of High Watermelon

This strange (and strangely refreshing) wheat beer made with watermelon isn’t usually something I’d enjoy. I’ve had watermelon beers before, and often found them to have a sort of candy-like sweetness that was unpleasant. Hell or High Watermelon, however, beats that rap and is exceptionally good to drink on a hot day. It’s en excellent beach beer, let me tell you.

Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA

Coming in at a little over 7% ABV, this beer packs a bit of a wallop. It’s got some hop bitterness to it, paired with some decent grainy flavors, but it’s an incredibly smooth drinking beer in spite of the alcohol content. If you like your IPAs with a punch of flavor, this is a great choice for sunset on the back patio.

Bell’s Oberon Ale

A wheat ale with a little sourdough funk and some light notes of fruit, Oberon is a great go-to for a wheat ale with some character (and comes highly recommended by my friend, M). It has a fairly light body and some decent carbonation (though not too much), which keeps it feeling nice and refreshing. It’s got enough flavor to stand up to food, so try it while grilling or chowing down.

Anderson Valley Briney Melon Gose

I think you all know where I stand on gose beers. This is a personal favorite (though Anderson Valley makes at least two others that are fantastic) as it’s tart, faintly salty, and incredibly bright. It’s a very easy beer to drink, as long as you like the decent sour punch, and is perfect for hot weather.

Union Craft Brewing Anthem

As a celebration of the recent 200th anniversary of the penning of the Star Spangled Banner, this Baltimore brewery whipped up a golden ale to delight the senses. With a decently grainy base and a Mosaic hop finish, this pairs great with the classic American grilled goods that we so love in summer.

I recently started a new job and am trying to figure out where to go for beer after work and between 5 and my occasional evening appointments. Generally, I’m happy to buy beer to drink and review at home, but here is a small chunk of time to kill, so what better way to handle that than with a craft beer? Enter my old reliable, Gilly’s. It’s about halfway between work and my appointment, so it’s a fine place to camp out for a while.

This week, they had a selection from Manor Hill that I hadn’t tried before: Sixfold Imperial IPA. Coming in at 8.8%, this is no lightweight session beer! Sixfold might be seasonal or a small run, but I feel like I’ve seen it listed on beer menus in the past. It was apparently originally brewed under the name of Hidden Hopyard: Volume 6 and strongly features Eureka and Equinox hops, which I don’t really know well. Manor Hill brews out of Ellicott City, MD, which is very close to me. Clearly, I’ll need to visit them sometime soon.

This came out a really lovely, rich amber-gold color with no head. There’s a little wisp of foam on the surface of the beer, but no lacing left behind as we go on. There’s not a strong nose to this beer at all; it’s perhaps gently green and floral if anything at all. I get some faint bread scents and maybe a hint of pine.

With the first sip, it’s clear that this Imperial IPA is jam-packed with flavor. Citrus and hops and resin and honey and freshly-baked baguette. Wow! It’s not dry in spite of being a decent 70 IBUs. It’s maybe even just a hint sweet and it’s fruity without being too refreshing. I know, that sounds weird. But it’s a good thing in this case. It’s not a super-bright, citrusy beer, but it’s spring-like and really delightful.

I’m absolutely going to keep an eye out for this one in the future! I’d have it again any day of the week. Five out of five delicious mugs!

Fresh out of undergrad in 2006, I packed up my life and moved to Japan to teach English for a year. Kind of crazy, sure, but I didn’t know what the heck to do with my life at that point (I had been so sure that I wanted to be an English professor and write and teach and then, while working on my senior thesis, I realized that it just wasn’t for me – so I felt totally lost) so I figured some adventure abroad would be the right choice. I spoke the language well enough to survive – and picked up a ton more through immersion – and was ready to give it a try.

Overall, it was a great year. My health, unfortunately, forced me to come home after just one year, when I had planned to stay for two to three. There are parts of me that regret not having more time there, but then my life would have turned out drastically differently… and I hate the What If game.

Ballast Point East to West IPA has been on a journey as well. It’s a collaboration between California-based Ballast Point and COEDO in Japan , and a close relative of another Ballast Point beer (West to East IPA), which uses sake rice and yuzu peel. This beer, however, uses the same recipe only with brown rice and Meyer lemon. It’s got some roots in Japan, but it’s been given a twist and a home back in the US.

I had this on draft at Frisco Tap House in April. It’s a deep goldenrod-colored pour that’s nice and clear in the glass. There’s no head, really, just a light smear of foam on top. There’s not much clinginess in that foam and so there’s no real lacing, either. The nose is bright, with citrus and floral notes. The hops smell is also fresh and fruity. This is, I think, what’s often referred to as “juicy.”

The taste is fairly tropical with a sharp brightness to it. That fruit-forward taste is balanced with just a hint of dankness from the hops. And there’s that late kettle addition of lemons, giving it a zippy flavor as well. The mouthfeel is light and the carbonation is fairly low.

I think it’s great for a warm, sunny spring day. I’d happily drink this all summer long. It’s just my speed. I sometimes like a big, piney hop flavor, but a nice fruity IPA can win my heart, too. Five out of five.

Frisco’s, a favorite of mine, has a fun new machine. It means you can get any of their beers on tap and take two pints home, sealed airtight in a big, tall, silver can. This changes things! I’m just one person and I can’t always finish a growler in the two days before the beer loses its freshness/carbonation. This can is just 32oz ad that I can handle solo.

Well, I cracked that thing open one evening – after about two days in my fridge – to test it out. Union Rye Baby IPA pours a rich, warm honey color with coppery hues. There’s a light cream-colored head that is fluffy and a little over one finger high with some sturdy lacing.

It smells hoppy right up front, green and foresty, with maybe a little bit of pine resin to it. There’s maybe something a little fruity, as well. The piney nature of the nose gives me a strong idea of a west coast influence.

The taste is good and rye for sure! Rye IPAs ted to be malty in my experience, often showcasing the rye malt flavor profile. This, however, is hop forward, but with a sturdy malt backbone. It’s not a palate wrecker, but it skews a little better (though pleasantly so to my tastes).

There’s a dry, bitter finish, but not a lingering, unpleasant aftertaste. Though, as it warms, the bitter flavor does get a little more zingy. Still, two whole pints of it in one evening was a pleasant experience. I’ve seen this come up on menus since then, and hopefully will continue to see it more in the future because I’ll absolutely order it.

Spontaneous movie night with friends – we opted for Beetlejuice, which is generally the right plan. I brought over a selection of beers that I’d picked up at my favorite bottle shop and, when the host, J, saw the bottle of Voodoo Ranger, his face lit up. He told me that it was a fantastic beer so of course I had to crack that open.

This beer pours a rich honey straw gold with a very clear appearance – not cloudy at all. There’s a generous head, though I definitely poured a little too aggressively and caused some of that to form. There’s at least three fingers of fluffy, off-white head that trailed lacing behind as it settled down into the beer.

It has a piney, dank, hop-forward nose. And yet it smells a little bright, almost tropical, to me. There’s also a whiff of sweet malt in the background as well. Based on the smell, though, I was anticipating a hop punch in the face.

The first sip is bright with tangerine and features a smooth hop finish. Then there’s that slight tropical aftertaste mixed with green pine. It’s very clean-drinking, immensely enjoyable. The mouthfeel is smooth and just a little thick. It’s a seriously excellent beer. I would absolutely buy this one again!